What's on Your iPod?

1) Audra McDonald, "My Stupid Mouth" - McDonald, a Tony-award winning actress/singer (she's on TV's Private Practice) usually records albums of theater songs, but last year, she came out with a collection of pop and folk songs. This is a cover of the John Mayer song. It's a beautiful song, and McDonald's celebrated pipes conveys the regret in the song - it's about a woman who feels she was too candid during a first date. The acoustic guitar work is great as is the orchestration, but of course, the focal point is McDonald's near-operatic vocals.
2) Lulu, "Where the Poor Boys Dance (Almighty Mix)" - Lulu is best known for her 1960's hit "To Sir, with Love" as well as her guest-starring on the Britcom Absolutely Fabulous, but the singer also had a string of dance-pop hits in the 1990's. Her stuff is sort of like 90's Tina Turner or Lisa Stansfield. This song was from a shelved album - it's a bit liek Cher's "Believe" except Lulu's a great singer, so even if the production is a bit cheesy (it's kinda Euro-disco), her gutsy singing gives it cred.
3) Britney Spears, "3" - Spears' latest No. 1 hit is exactly what you'd expect from Spears - robotic dance beats, vocals processed, distorted and manipulated by electronics. The lyrics are beside the point (as is Spears' digitalized warbling). It's a bit disappointing as Spears' last two albums were pretty good and the singles were really credible, so this is a stepback.
4) MC Lyte, "Poor Georgie" - I'm a huge MC Lyte fan - she was one of the first female rappers out there and this song - a socially-conscious tune about a guy whose self-destructive ways catch up to him. Her rapping style is old-school, reminiscent of Run DMC or Public Enemy. The song samples the Supremes' "My World is Empty without You."
5) Janet Jackson, "Make Me" - Jackson's been a bit spotty in the last couple years and she needs a hit bad. She's coming out with her own collection of No. 1's and this is the leading single - it's a tribute to her brother, the late Michael Jackson. Thankfully Jackson decided to hang up her sexual obsessions and release a lovely dance-disco call for the dance floor. Though she's not re-creating the wheel, it's a welcome return to form.

What I'm Listening to Now: Barbra Streisand Love Is the Answer

I'm a huge Streisand fan, but have to be honest, I don't really look forward to any of her new stuff - she's gotten rather complacent with her recording career, content to coast on her legendary status. I was surprised when I heard her new album Love Is the Answer (Columbia), a collection of jazz and pop standards, produced by Diane Krall. It's one of Streisand's strongest releases in some time, and sits comfortably with her classic 1960's album.

At 67, Streisand's voice is remarkably intact. It's aged well and she can still hit notes effortlessly, though this set of tunes doesn'tcout on the diva to belt out showstopping notes. Instead, it's a subdued and spare affair.

The songs are recognizable, but unlike compilations of standards, these songs haven't been covered to death. The most famous song, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is a Frank Sinatra classic. Streisand doesn't take anything away from Sinatra's rendition, but gives a warm lovely performance. The setting is very intimate, with a thoughtful piano solo, and a comforting string bass. The song recalls Streisand's roots in supper clubs.

"Here's to Life" is of course a song that celebrates living, in almost defiant manner - a sort of "bad odds be damned" kind of tune, which Streisand sings in a melancholy manner, slowing the tempo, adding an irony and poignance to the song - similar to her reworking of the sprightly "Happy Days Are Here Again" to a sardonic dirge.

"Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" is another song that a casual listner will probably know before picking up this CD. The production further emphasizes the jazz club feel of the record, and Streisand's singing is engaging.

There are no missteps, and if the production is pristine, it can be a bit sleepy, but it's still a great record to put on during aromantic dinner or to listen to on a rainy afternoon.

Further Listening:
The Barbra Streisand Album (1963) - Streisand's debut is probably her strongest album. It's the closest thing to punk a supper-club chanteause like Streisand can get - the arrangements are revelatory and the performances are breath-taking.
People (1964) - Besides the chart-topping title cut, the rest of the album contains some of the performer's best interpretations of the Great American Songbook.
A Christmas Album (1967) - One of the best Christmas albums of pop music, her break-neck sprint through "Jingle Bells" is worth the price of admission.
Stoney End (1971) - Streisand's first successful straddling of current musical trends, the title song, a cover of a Laura Nyro composition, is the centerpiece of the album, however, the supporting tunes all are a worth a listen.
Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol II (1978) - The prototype for the modern pop diva - this collection of Streisand's massive 1970's hits is a blueprint from which Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion have had studied.
Guilty (1980) - Streisand teams up with the Bee Gees for pure pop perfection.
The Broadway Album (1985) - The last gasp of Streisand's pure genius on vinyl before she finally succumbed to MOR wilderness.

Happy Days Are Here Again

Former Saturday Night Live writer/comedian, Al Franken is now Senator Franken - it appears we now have a filibuster-proof majority in the House.

A Television Angel Dies: Farrah Fawcett 1947 - 2009

When watching a television obituary to Farrah Fawcett, the insipid talking head compared the actress to Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson. No disrespect to Hilton or Anderson, but Fawcett was a lot more than just a sex object, though few saw beyond the mane of blonde hair and the set of perfect white teeth. She was California beauty personified, and often her stunning looks got in the way of her thespian ambitions.

She is remembered mostly for two things: either her short stint on the campy 1970's cop show, Charlie's Angels or for her iconic, best-selling poster, where she's wearing a famous red swimsuit. Her whole career afterwards was an attempt at refuting the poster or Charlie's Angels. In the early 1980's, she shocked fans and critics with a stunning performance as a battered wife in Burning Bed. She then appeared onstage to critical acclaim as a rape victim in Extremities. In the mid 1990's, she gave a quietly affecting performance in Robert Duvall's The Apostle.

The last year of Fawcett's life was a trial in suffering and indignity, climaxing with her son going to court for drug charges and her cancer battle being televised on a mawkish television special. A puffy, almost unrecognizable Ryan O'Neal did the talk-show rounds, sopping up airspace and camera time with his grief.

Fawcett's public image was strange: she was a sex kitten - beautiful, bubbly and blonde. She was also assailed for being a bit loopy and dimwitted. Fawcett complained once to a journalist that she suffers from the same kind of sexism Marilyn Monroe endured during her career.

The tragedy in Fawcett's death, besides the loss of a woman, wife, friend and mother, is that she never made good on her ambitions and promise as an actress. She's proven the few times she was given the opportunity, that she could deliver. Appreciating her as an artist would be the most appropriate kind of tribute.

Gone Too Soon - Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

Everyone I know has a Michael Jackson moment – the moment when they heard a song or saw a video that left an impression. My older friends remembered the first time Michael Jackson moonwalked across a stage. Others remembered him singing along with his superstar friends for starving children in Africa. My Michael Jackson moment came in 1992 New Years Day. A local television station played music videos all day: I remembered watching Jackson’s “Black and White” video.

By that point the title of the song, “Black and White” had become ironic and a punch line. Fox’s urban sketch show, In Living Color, had an Asian woman play him in a parody of the Jackson family. Jackson’s increasingly androgynous looks, coupled with his progressively lightening skin, made him a target for tasteless jokes.

By 2009, Michael Jackson had descended from pop music giant into tabloid monster. It’s a tragic tale of celebrity, that’s all too common: Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley – these are just the most famous of the individuals who entered show business and paid heavy prices for fame and fortune.

Toward the end of his life, it was hard for some to remember just why Jackson was famous. It’s been years since he’s made any relevant music. He barely toured and anytime he appeared in the papers or on television, it was either because of some scandal, legal calamity or self-induced publicity stunt.

The tragedy of course is that Michael Jackson was so stunningly talented. At his best, he was a maestro of popular music. He was a pioneer, blending soul, dance, pop and rock. 1982’s Thriller is a textbook example of a perfect pop record and showed audiences at his masterful peak.

Things started to go a bit south in the late 1980’s. He suffered almost-lethal burns on the set of a Pepsi commercial. His follow up album, Bad (1987) was a spectacular seller by most accounts, but still paled in comparison to Thriller. Also, his lofty position on the top of the pops was threatened by folks like Prince, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Terence Trent D’Arby, and most interestingly enough, his younger sister, Janet.

If the late 1980’s were difficult, the 1990’s were terrible. And strange. There were the marriages: in 1995, he married Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie. The marriage was a public farce, and no one was surprised when the two divorced. Then he married Debbie Rowe, the mother of his two children.

Of course the most memorable act in Michael Jackson’s public life in the 1990’s, was the molestation charges. The scandal did irrevocable damage to the singer’s career. He was brought to civil court, but didn’t face any charges, after he reportedly paid off his accuser. It didn’t help that his equally bizarre older sister, LaToya, made statements supporting his accusers.

The last few years weren’t sunnier. His 2001 album, Invincible, flopped on the pop charts. The failure of the album led Jackson on a bizarre rant against his label, Sony and its chief, Tommy Mattola. And few will forget the baby-dangling incident. Jackson was seemingly bent on destroying his tattered image, appearing on a television with tabloid journalist Martin Bashir, repeatedly insisting that sharing his bed with young boys was appropriate and innocent. What was questionable about the interview was Jackson at one point was holding hands with a young cancer-patient, who wound up being his second accuser.

Jackson’s second trial of child molestation was probably the beginning of the end. It was a gruesome public circus akin to the O.J. Simpson trial. Jackson’s mug shot was splashed across the screens. There were also the images of Jackson being led away in handcuffs. In the end, he was acquitted of the charges, but things were never the same. He jettisoned Neverland, abandoning the ranch and letting it go into foreclosure. More lawsuits followed, along with rumors that his fortune was toppling.

And then there were whispers of a comeback. Like his friend, Liza Minnelli (who he gave away at her wedding – also a tawdry public affair that ended in tatters), he was on his way to crafting yet another comeback. His string of concerts in London were sold out. There was talk of a new record, and he had reportedly already filmed a music video.
In the weeks now there will be the predictable disputes over his estate. The Jacksons are dependable for publicity-seeking. There will be legal wrangling over his fortune, his children, his weighty debt.

Then there is his legacy. No matter how ridiculous his life became, there is still the music. Whether it’s the innocent funk of his Motown work with his brothers, to the glossy superstar hits of the 1980’s, popular music owes a lot to Jackson. Little Richard and the Beatles are often called architects of rock and roll. It stands to reason that a similar statement can be made about Michael Jackson: he is literally the blueprint of a perfect pop star.

Mark Sanford: The Governor of Hypocrisy?

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford admitted this week that he was having an affair with a woman named Maria Belen Chapur, an Argentine woman he met a dance floor. According to the governor, the two met and Ms Chapur poured her heart out to Sanford about her failing marriage. The two exchanged emails, until the relationship turned sexual. Apparently, Sanford's wife, Jenny knew of the affair and the two were going through a trial separation.

So, do I care that Governor Sanford had an affair? Well, not really. I think he's an ass for doing it, but I thought President Bill Clinton was an ass for cheating on his wife as well. But I don't think infidelity means that Sanford couldn't perform his duties as governor (though, I was never particularly impressed with his work).

What's problematic is the way in which all this came out. First of all, when Sanford lied about where he was going, and then disappeared that's where the governor made an error that could be grounds for dismissal or resignation. He didn't tell his staff, his wife or his lieutenant governor where he was going. He let his staff think he went hiking in the Appalachian mountains, when instead he flew to Argentina. Columnist, Cynthia Tucker pointed out that if any of his staff did this, they'd be fired - we should hold Sanford to the same standards.

This isn't a good year for the supposed rising stars of the Republican party: Bobby Jindal frittered away any of the good will Republicans heaped on him with his disastrous response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. Sarah Palin, once a vice presidential nominee, also has seen her star wane due to her bickering with comedian David Letterman, as well as, her tempestuous relations with her former running mate, Senator John McCain's - more specifically with his staff - both sides are apparently blaming the other for the GOP's loss in 2008. Sanford, like Jindal and Palin was shortlisted for possible presidential picks for 2012. Now, it looks like the GOP might have to look to Florida governor Charlie Crist or Kay Bailey Hutchison, the senior senator from Texas. Both Crist and Hutchinson have been gaining noise from the underground about their potential. Hopefully for the Republican party, they don't crash into flames like their colleagues have.

What I'm Reading Now: Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Clinton wrote her memoris, Living History in 2003, a few years after being elected senator of New York, however Secretary Clinton's memoirs deal mainly with her childhood and her years when she was a first lady.

The book is an interesting read - at times humorous and at other times poignant. What's best about the book is that Clinton goes over her political points of view, when recounting stories of her times as First Lady. Her husband, President Bill Clinton plays a major role in the book, and his policies are given illuminating highlights by the author. She predictably glosses over some of the less appealing moments in her life -mainly her husband's scandal with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

In her forward, Clinton writes that her campaign and work as a senator is too interesting and complex to fit into her memoirs, and they warrent a book of their own. Hopefully, Clinton will wait until her time as Secretary of State is over, and she writes of her time as a senator as well as a presidential candidate. Her historic run would make for a great read.

Very recommended.

My Friend, L. Brent Bozell :)

I love reading conservative columnists. The more extreme and ridiculous they are, the better: Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Larry Elder - these folks write these fascist-like columns, where in their worlds women stay in the kitchen, immigrants stay in their native countries and gays stay in the closet. No one was more egregious than L. Brent Bozell. I knew whenever I'd read something by him I'd be offended. It's a literary version of S&M.

I basically disagreed with everything that Bozell ever wrote - and I gleefully read his work, waiting to get riled up by some nonsense that he cooked up. Well, then I found "A 'Black Howard Stern'." And I was left very angry -why? Because I actually agreed with the Bozell...

So "A 'Black Howard Brown'" was a critique on Jamie Foxx's gross tirade against Miley Cyrus. Foxx called the 16-year old pop singer/actress a "bitch" and suggested that she make a sex video and catch a venereal disease. Foxx quickly apologized and reportedly his teenaged daughter wrote a note.

Great, so Bozell's column rightly upbraided Foxx for his joke. Bozell's writing was concise and succinct and to-the-point. I thought, "Uh oh, I may become a L. Brent Bozell fan."

And then I read his next piece "Obama Welcomes America-Bashing." In typical neo-conservative fashion, anyone that talks to one of our "enemies" hates America. Because Obama is open to looking at past U.S. grievances against other countries, he's no longer patriotic.

And then there's his outrage at Perez Hilton and his rant against a homophobic beauty queen (and no, I'm not referring to Sarah Palin). Bozell wrote angrily that "GLAAD forced the firing and ruined the award-winning career of actor Isaiah Washington from "Grey's Anatomy" for using the gay F-word on the set."

Now, anyone with any kind of imagination would see the two situations are completely different: Washington's behavior is akin to having a co-worker call you a fag at the office. Perez Hilton calling Miss California a bitch was wrong (I hate misogyny), but at the same time, they don't work together (more on the Miss California "scandal" later). And by the way, how did GLAAD "force" the firing of Isaiah Washington? Could it be that ABC has a zero-tolerance policy on bigotry at work? I know my work does - if I went around calling people "Polack" at the office, or if someone from accounting started referring to the boss by the "N-Word" then I'm sure that guy would be fired, too...

Anyways, I was actually kind of relieved that my relationship with Bozell's back to normal. I was frightened, because I was scared that I would become a Bozell groupie.

Ah, things are back to normal.

What Makes a Feminist?

So I had an argument with a worthy opponent about feminism. Well, really, the argument was about the definition of feminism. The idea that of what makes a feminist - can someone say she's a feminist, even if she disagreed with certain issues like abortion rights, same-sex marriage, affirmative action?

This argument came about discussing Governor Sarah Palin. Palin is a self-identified feminist, and a member of a group that calls itself Feminists for Life - an NGO that advocates against the death penalty, euthanasia and abortion. Palin's membership is interesting because while opposing abortion and euthanasia, she's in favor of capital punishment.

So, let me preface this by saying, I do not like Sarah Palin. I find her retrograde and an intellectual dwarf. Still, if she wants to identify as a feminist, who am I to argue? This issue goes to Camille Paglia, a writer who takes feminism to task for supposedly being monolithic and not open to diversity of thought.

She has a point.

So my opponent and I were discussing Paglia and Palin and their place in feminism. My friend argued that Paglia (a writer he detests) grumbles about feminism to be contrary and hip. He also went on to blast Palin for her views on abortion, women's rights, affirmative action, LGBT rights, etc. as anti-feminist. He then insisted that to be able to call oneself a feminist, there are some basic values that have to be followed.

Well, initially I resisted to this assertion - I hate thinking that feminism (and I consider myself a feminist) has rules that you have to follow. It reminds me of the folks who would insist that to be an American you had to ascribe to certain values. I always wonder "if feminism has rules, who makes them?" My friend answered, "a consensus."

And that's what got to me: a consensus. In the 1970's the consensus agreed on what feminism meant, and that concept excluded a lot of women -- lesbians, women of color, Christians, housewives, conservatives, transsexuals - these various groups of women felt left out by feminism; by "consensus" these women didn't belong in the movement. To assert themselves the women squeezed out of the movement had to start their own spin-offs.

The debate ended with the cliched "agree to disagree." I agree that I don't agree with Sarah Palin's policy; but I also feel it unfair to just say "Well, Sarah Palin can't be a feminist." I wouldn't feel comfortable turning to Gloria Steinem and asking for her stamp of approval, either - who decided Steinem was the paragon of feminism?

The worst part of the argument was how it looked like I was defending Sarah Palin - and I guess I was, except I wasn't defending her policy - I was just defending her right to define herself.

E! Wishes Priscilla Presley Well!

E! - the television equivalent of The National Enquirer - broadcasted a hard-hitting program on plastic surgery, featuring 20 "stories" of plastic surgery successes and disasters that befall on Hollywood celebrities.

The usual suspects - Michael Jackson, Joan Rivers, Pam Anderson - all make appearences, along with the stale jokes - Michael Jackson looks like a white woman, Pam Anderson shouldn't stand next to a radiator, or she'll melt, blah di blah..."Experts" including plastic surgeons that star on Dr. 90210, offer their "expert" opinions on just what people like Courtney Love or Tara Reid had done, and what went wrong.

Sounds classy, right?

Well, Prisiclla Presley made it onto the list. Presley as some may remember was a conestant on the celebrity-graveyard reality competition, Dancing with the Stars. She also pretended to be an actress for a little bit, getting gigs on nighttime soaps and playing second banana to Leslie Nielson. Oh yeah, and she married Elvis Presley.

So the Widow Presley has indulged in some facial reconstructing, of which got her a prime spot on the E! Channel's botched surgery list.

Before I go on, I have to say, Presley does look like a mannequin. She can't really express feelings anymore - but then again, so what? Emoting way's overratted. And even if she does look like something that escaped from Madame Taussaud's, she doesn't look all that tragic.

Still, according to the panel of judges on E!, 'Cilla's face lift disaster is on par with the Hindenberg. As if it wasn't bad enough that we had quacks on television pile crap on Priscilla Presley's face, the appallingly insincere narrator intoned that it would be a "shame" if Presley lost her "classic beauty" and that Presley will be comforted to know that the folks on the E! Channel are "pulling" for her. I got sick to my stomach.

I'm sure it comes as a great comfort for Presley as it appears that the doctor who performed her procedure injected car lubricant into her face and reportedly doesn't even have a degree. The doctors on E!, in full Cassandra-mode, gleefully told the viewers that there was nothing Presley could do to fix her face, outside of essentially peeling off her face to get at the offending silicon. Something tells me, if she does that, she might look worse than she does now (though the image of a doctor peeling off Priscilla Presley's face, reminds me of every episode of Scooby-Doo, where the villain's always having his face peeled off to reveal that it was a mask). I wonder if E! mailed its Hallark "Get Well!" card to Priscilla's Graceland address...

As tough as E! was on Priscilla Presley, they were ready to nominate Ashlee Simpson for a Nobel Prize for getting a good nose job. I have to be honest, I didn't really know who Ashlee Simpson was and it looks like there were two reasons for my ignorance: 1) Her face looked different before her rhinoplasty and 2) she isn't all that famous.

So Ashlee Simpson got a tiny bump shaved off her nose and now looks like every young, pretty blonde Hollywood starlet and the 90210 "surgeons" were singing their hossanahs to her. They were all so impressed with Simpson, I started to believe the singer did the surgery herself.

After watching the show, I wondered if Priscilla Presley was watching television from the Jungle Room in Graceland, just as she was receiving her "get well soon" wishes" ("get pretty soon") from the E! Channel. I also wonder if, like Elvis used to do, does she watch television with a loaded revolver.

What I'm Reading Now

Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - it's amazing - a book w/in a book...

simply marvelous...

Obama Remembers the Ladies

In yet another move that reminds us that we made a good choice, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Pay Fair Pay Act, which makes it easier for victims of unequal pay sue their employers.
Ledbetter, a grandmother who worked for years at Good Year, learned that she was beng paid much less than her male colleagues, despite her skill and experience. She took Good Year to court, but the Supreme Court slammed her down, claiming that she should've complained 180 days after the initial act of discrimination - her tenure at Good Year was nearing 19 years, so she only realized that she was being hosed toward the end of her time with the company.

President Obama signed into law that would've made it easier for Ledbetter to sue at the end of her time with Good Year, by stating that her time to sue can occure ten years after the last act of discrimination - meaning, each paycheck that Ledbetter recieved was in itself an act of discrimination, and she could mount a case after each paycheck. Unfortunately, Ledbetter's fight lasted a decade, which means that despite her moral victory, she won't see a penny from this triumph. Not that Ledbetter's bitter - she maintains that she's thrilled because her daughters and grandaughters will have a better deal - not only her daughters and grandaughters, but all women.

Ledbetter played an important role at last year's Democratic National Convention, speaking out against gender discrimination and endorsing Obama's campaign. She gave a memorable speech that was warmly received by the delegates and audience at the DNC, and brougth her important story to the American public.

It can't be overlooked that when signing the act into law, the president was flanked not only by Ledbetter, but by Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton - two women who've personified the kind of struggle Ledbetter had to face her whole adult life. Pelosi and Clinton both broke glass ceilings - Pelosi is the nation's first female speaker of the house and Clinton has had the most successful presidential campaign than any woman in U.S. history. It was a great moment not only for the president's young administration, but also for American women, still being undervalued by employers.

First Day in Their New Jobs

After hoopla of the inauguration, President Obama (has a lovely ring to it), like millions of other Americans started his first day at a new job. He wasn't alone - Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton both had "first days" away from their familiar surrounding in the senate.

Pres. Obama promised his voters change, and he doesn't seem to be wasting much time; he's already pledged to close Gitmo and has frozen White House staff salaries. Clinton meanwhile pledged a "new era," insisting that her view of the world won't be judged by fear or paranoia. After basking in the applause of her staff, she was on the phone with her counterparts, trying to undo the damage of the last eight years.

The president has also promised bipartisanship, and he's bent over backwards since his victory back in November to prove that he'll want to work across the aisle. He's abandoned his sharp rhetoric against the Bush administration, vowing to let bygones be bygones. It's a decent promise - the Democrats and the Republicans have been locking horns for much too long during the past two presidential terms, ensuring that Washington was rife with bitterness, but short on progress.

It'll be interesting to see what's going to happen -- the president's already pledged to pull troops out of Iraq and the closing of Guantanemo Bay will endear himself to his liberal base; he's also disappointed the Left with his milquetoast response to the Israeli assaut on Gaza. He's also offered an olive branch to his rival Arizona senator, John McCain, speaking at a dinner in the senator's honor. During his inauguration, he even invited Rick Warren, a conservative pastor who supported Prop. 8 and has been an outspoken opponent of gay rights. Two things can happen:

1) President Obama has it both ways and will manage to bridge the gaping maw between the left and the right.
2) The president will alienate his base and the right will see through his pandering and not be fooled.

Right now, the president is still basking in the post-inauguration honeymoon. People still love him for realizing the hopes of so many Americans (even some conservatives like McCain and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have been crowing nice about the president). He's going to have a difficult dance to lead - hopefully his job has a decent "first day orientation" packet that'll guide him.

Some will be disappointed. To conservatives, he'll be the dangerous face of an encroaching liberalism that will cripple America and send her to Gommorah. To liberals, he'll be an over-cautious politican who will pay lip-service to anyone. The truth, of course, is somewhere in the middle.

His choice of secretary of state was smart because it shows an instance where he can successfully appease both Republicans and Democrats. Secretary Clinton has enjoyed an overwhelming warmth during her confirmation and has been greeted with enthusiasm by the international community. As long as the president can continue to tread this precarious road, he'll do well in hew new job: let's see what his second day will hold.

Will Learn for $$$$$$$$

When a kid gets an A chances are her family will reward her with something - richer parents will fork over a new car (depending on how good her grades really were); some give clothes; others give cash.

Well, what if your kid was getting a paycheck at the end of every quarter, along with her report card? There are experiments throughout the country in public schools, where kids get paid for grades - starting anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on how well they do (you have to get at least a C to get paid for school).

So, despite my grumblings about how wrong this practice is - I call it bribery, it appears to be working - students in the inner city are not only doing better in school, but are returning to class - paying the kids is actually lowering drop-out rates.

I hate to admit I'm wrong - everyone who knows me will attest to this, and I'm not about to start now - but I am offering a comprimise.

Paying the kids for doing well seems to work - in the short run - but what about the long run? My fear with giving kids money for grades is:
1) The whole idea of learning and the concept of loving to learn is corrupted by money.
2) We are putting a monetary value on grades.
3) The most important point: What is going to keep these kids interested in learning when they won't earn a paycheck for school? Part of the educational process is learning that rewards aren't immediate and measurable by hard numbers - in the "real world" we won't always be instantly rewarded by hard work - and yet still most of us work hard because we want to look back with pride at what we're doing - this is because our educators and teachers have instilled in us an appreciation of doing a job well. When money enters the equation, that's when things get a bit sticky - why would I want to go to college, where I have to pay to learn instead of being paid? What's the motivator?

Now, do I think the whole idea of rewarding students for grades is bad? No of course not. But let's reward these kids with something decent and meaningful. For example, you do well in high school, you get financial aide (not a loan, but financial aide that you don't have to pay back). Or a cool set of books. A trip.

There are lots of things we can do to give to our students to make kids want to do well. Let's just make sure we give them a deep love and appreciation for learning, as well.

Look at Me, I'm Sandra Lee!

I blame Martha Stewart. Why else would a woman like Sandra Lee be famous. For those of you who don't know who Sandra Lee is, let me school you.

Sandra Lee is a Food Network personality, like Rachael Ray or Paula Deen. The only difference is that Sandra Lee doesn't cook. "Wha'" I hear you saying - yup, Sandra Lee doesn't cook.

Well, of course she calls what she says "cooking" but really, college kids who live in dorm rooms with hot plates cook like she does.

On her show, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, Lee urges us to follow her recipes that promise "70% store-bought/ready-made products, accompanied by 30% fresh and creative touches, allowing you to take 100% of the credit." If you haven't seen the show, TiVo it as soon as you can - it's incredible.

Sandra Lee is a beautiful blonde that looks like she escaped from Stepford, Connecticut. She convinces her viewers that putting together "recipes" that are made from packaged products will fool people into thinking you've slaved away over a stove for hours.

She loves mixes - absolutely -freakin' - loves 'em. You know what I mean by mixes - those envelopes with a photo of a great meal, with cremated vegetables and spices. They're always named "onion mix" or "white sauce mix." You never use a real onion or make your own white sauce -- that would be lunacy! Rip open a sleeve of onion dust next time you're making a meatloaf.

She also loves cake mix. Now, don't get me wrong, I know that most housewives are way too busy to bake a cake from scratch all the time; but I'm not sure if Sandra Lee even knows how to bake a cake (I'm not sure she even knows what real flour is). There's always some "creative" twist in which she dumps something bottled, packaged and processed into the cake mix as well.

You like fruit? So does Sandra Lee - except she's never even stepped foot into the produce department. She doesn't have a peeling knife for her vegetables - all she needs is a can opener. How about vegetables? Sure - she'll be happy to crack open a fresh can of peas for you.

There's something a little cheesy and cheap about most of the Food Network stars - they're all kind of gimmicky and have some kind of schtick, but there's something doubly offensive about Sandra Lee because her cooking show is for people who hate cooking. She cut corners like a crazy woman, reducing most of her dishes to basically opening a can of something, pouring it onto a box of something, then sprinkling a box of something and voila! you've got yourself a meal. And a disturbingly large number of items in her cooking end with words like "flavored food product."

As lazy as she is with her dinners, telling enough, she becomes Julia Child when it comes to her cocktails. At the end of every episode, after showing you how to "cook" a can of cream of chicken casserole, she goes over surprisingly complex recipes for drink mixes. It's lovely to know that when Sandra Lee is planning a party, her priorities are on the after-dinner drinks and not on the meal itself. And like a good WASP, she alway "samples" the cocktails first.

Oh, and don't get me started on her table-scapes. She finds some weird, esoteric theme and then goes nuts, throwing the shit all over the table. And the themes - oh my God - she'll do a NASCAR theme, and will festoon the table with everything NASCAR, including checkerboard napkins or toy cars; her tables look like exhibits at a theme park.

So why do I blame Martha? Well, Sandra Lee is the anti-Martha. Martha Stewart promises a perfect wedding cake after only 43 easy steps; in comparison, "baking" a cake by mixing a powdered mix with apple sauce for that "specail touch" seems much more ideal. Also, viewers know that if they try Sandra Lee's recipes, the chances of them messing up are zilch, where as Martha Stewart's recipes are about as complex as the blueprints of nuclear reactor. So, thank you Martha Stewart, thanks a lot for inspiring those of us too intimidated to try to settle for mediocrity. And cocktails.